Living, reimagined

A few weeks ago, I visited the Museum of Modern Art through the library's Museum Pass Program. While there is always so much to be in awe of strolling through the collections, there was one exhibit this day that captured my interest the most: Foreclosed: Rehousing the American Dream. The exhibit is the result of a study of five suburbs that have been hit hard by our nation's foreclosure crisis.

A bit of history about the exhibit: during the summer of 2011, five teams consisting of architects, landscape designers, engineers, and economists, gathered to discuss ways in which five selected suburbs outside New York City, Tampa, Chicago, Portland, and Los Angeles could be redesigned to help prevent foreclosure risks. The teams were encouraged to rethink the traditional American Dream and the idea that homeownership equals a house, an individual patch of lawn, and a driveway. (For an overview of the entire project and exhibit, watch the video below).

Asking question such as, "What if we could create an entirely walkable suburb?" or "How can we live sustainably while close to nature?," the teams came up with truly unique, thought-provoking, and innovative proposals for addressing the crisis. My favorites were Nature City, which "combines the conveniences of urban life with the health benefits and access to agriculture of country living," and Simultaneous City, in which "publicly owned local land remains a public asset, and the income derived from development is shared with citizens" (-moma.org).

The exhibit at the MoMA includes film presentations, interactive multimedia, and incredibly detailed scale models, which are surely the highlight of it all. A blog also shares insider perspectives on the work done by the teams, as well. Whether or not any of the five ideas come to fruition, Foreclosed is definitely a not-to-miss stop among the collections. On display through August 13th, with a closing lecture scheduled that day, there is still time to enjoy the exhibit this summer.